Thread: Bout to filet my first fish...

I use the electron driven knife too and can go through crappie and bream in about 30 seconds per fish.

:Hands ClappingGlad to hear you didn't cut yourself. You've started out right.

we just cut the heads, gut, scale--then fry whole--can't beat it

the tails and fins are like potato chips.

You might consider buying one of those "fillet gloves", if you intend to use a regular filet knife & fear doing more filetting of your hand/fingers, than fish. Be aware, though ... they are NOT intended for use with a elec knife !!!! And, I can't even guarantee that they'll protect you from a regular filet knife, as I've never used one (since I use a elec knife on any fish I clean, regardless of size). I just remember reading the package disclaimer, that says it's not for use with a elec knife !!

Don't try to filet in record time. Take your time & perfect your technique, first. Speed will come with repetition, once you've figured out what techique works for you.

You probably already know this, but .... I've seen so many people cleaning fish & making an almost 90deg cut down the side, that I feel it worth mentioning :

When running the knife under the gill plate, to cut the fillet/side of the fish off ... I start by entering the middle of the knife blade under the gill plate, & cut in until I hit backbone. Then, I roll/curve the knife around the gill plate & up over the eye of the fish ... then roll/turn the knife blade under & back towards the tail. This cuts off an added nickel to quarter sized piece of meat (depending on size of fish), on each side, that many people just leave on the carcass. banghead
I've seen so many people just make a straight cut down the side of a fish, that I have to bite my tongue & stick my hands in my pocket to keep from "saying something" or snatching the knife outta their hands & filleting the fish for them Rofl .... but, since not everybody is accepting of "constructive criticism", been doing it that way forever, and/or "prefer" to do it that way .. then I just stay out of it & teach by example (since I know that people "watch" other people, when they're cleaning fish ... not only to check out the size of the fish, but also to mentally critique their cleaning technique)

Now, as I said ... I use a elec knife, so the cutting technique I explained above is in reference to using the electric version. However, even when using a regular filet knife, making the cut run above the eye will still get you a good % more meat ... and may even out any loss caused by an errant cut, elsewhere.

... cp

In the hands of a beginner, asking them cut a fish with an electric knife is like asking a 12 year old to cut up a deer with a chainsaw.

Yea, im not going for speed. I just want better quality with the cuts that i make. The best filet i got was starting at the dorsal fin and cutting down towards the rib cage, instead of cutting behind the gill and back towards the tail.

Just keep at it.....is probably the best advice. I think some others have eluded to it as well, but make sure to let that knife flex.....that's the point of them being so thin. It took me a while to latch on to that idea, my grandpa had always pan dressed bluegill with an old case pocket knife and taught me to clean fish the same way as a kid. So for a good spell I was treating a fillet knife the same as a pocket knife and wondering why I was having trouble. I also agree with the guys who said to keep on with a conventional fillet knife. It's alot more forgiving to learn that way, but once you perfect that you may want to go electric. I've been filleting panfish with a regular knife since I was a teenager and was convinced that I wouldn't be any faster with an electric knife. Finally bought one this year and man was I wrong, you can absolutely rip through a mess of fish with those things.

Originally Posted by mjm76

you can absolutely rip through a mess of fish with those things.

And, IMO, get more meat and consistent fillets. Once you're a few 1000 fish down range with electric you go on autopilot.

Just give me the fish and I will de-scale,gut,cut their heads off and fry them While you all watch them fillet videos on U-Tube! lol